To Tip or not to Tip...

So last night my husband and I went to the local supermarket here in Nichada (the community that we live in).  I went into the store while my hubby stayed in the vehicle with Joshua.

The store was empty. It usually isn't but many families are still away for holidays.  That will all change in a couple of weeks.  Anyway I raced around the store picking up what I needed - milk, cereal, water, diapers and what I also wanted - M& M's and ice cream. (so much for the diet!)

After I got everything I started to make my way to the register to pay.  As I walked over one of the employees came over and quickly summoned me to stand aside while he unload my cart and then proceeded  to pack my stuff and put them back into the cart.  I paid the cashier, said thank you and walked over to push the cart out myself - but again he waved me off and pushed it out for me.  I was thankful and appreciated his help and so said to myself that I would tip him for his trouble and extra service.

So as he was unloading I started to look for a 20 Baht (the local currency) to tip him but I didn't have a 20 Baht on me.  I asked my husband if he had and he didn't.  I didn't even have enough coins to make that amount to tip him.  So I ended up not tipping him at all.  I felt so bad. Really bad. I think he was also expecting me to tip him too.

But here's the thing -  in Thailand they don't tip.  The workers don't get tipped and it is not expected.  In fact it is not practiced.  I've noticed that the locals here don't do it, but the "farangs" (known as tourists/expatriates) practice tipping.

So I came home still thinking about it and still feeling bad, but the more I thought about it it got me thinking - why was I feeling awful & somewhat  guilty about not tipping this Thai man?  I appreciated his help and I did want to tip him although it is not the norm .  I did say thank you.  Isn't that enough?  And then on the other hand his body language told me that he was kind of expecting me to tip him. So did he do what he did just because I'm a farang and the farangs usually tip or did he do what he did out of the kindness of his heart...................... Hard to tell really.

Anyway after thinking about for a while I started to think about me.  Do I offer help or show kindness to people because it is the right thing to do or do I offer help and show kindness expecting something in return?  

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17